ABSTRACT
The pandemic had a severe effect on children with special needs and their families. This disruptive impact was particularly prevalent in March 2020, with the initial switch to remote instruction. When schools shuttered and education moved online, children with individualized learning plans (IEPs) or individualized family service plans that required provisions such as language or psychological services, or physical and occupational therapies could no longer receive these necessities in their typical format. This chapter focuses specifically on the diverse needs of special needs students during the pandemic and the turbulent effect on learners, their families, and teachers. Cases explore the difficulties associated with receiving services and supporting English language learners and young children with disabilities in a remote or limited educational capacity. This section also explores how positionality and cascading events lead to difficulties for children, teachers, and their families.
